Founded in 1998, i.c.stars creates opportunities for underserved communities by bridging the gap between resilient young adults and high-growth tech companies. The rigorous four-month leadership and technology training program gives low-income learners close to 1,000 hours of training in preparation for work at leading technology service providers and then supports them for 20 months afterward as they transition to high-paying, full-time employment. Read Article

The Stand + Together Foundation spent a day with i.c.stars: Recoding The Cycle Of Opportunity Through Tech-Focused Leadership Education

It’s a cold, gusty morning in downtown Chicago, where Rico Bryant shows up for work every day at a non-descript office building. He buzzes himself in under a small black awning, opens the door, and trots up two steps to press the elevator call button. There is nothing fancy about where he is headed—a third floor loft space on Dearborn Street, one block north of the House of Blues. But when he describes this place he lights up and says, “This is where the magic happens.” Read Article

In this episode broadcast live on November 22, 2019, host Melanie Adcock interviews staff members from i.c. Stars, a technology-based workforce development and leadership training program for low-income adults on their 20th anniversary. Featured guests were Paige Brown, Program Manager, Arely Dorsey, Workforce Manager, and Rico Bryant, Recruiter. Listen

Mikell is a high school dropout who learned to code at I.C. Stars, which she turned into a job as a software engineer at Accenture. She later taught coding at Dev Bootcamp. Five years ago, she and Kortney Ziegler launched ZaMLabs, an incubator focused on using tech for economic justice in marginalized communities.